Beer Brawl 11 – Scottish Ale

This weeks’ Beer Brawl features Scottish Ale.  Scottish ale is a style of beer characterized by a low hop profile, malty backbone, and is a smooth drinking beer.  The Scottish have been brewing beer for over 3000 years and have developed a style of beer which fits this region where hops will not grow and requires them to be imported, but is a huge producer of barely.

Beer Brawl 11

With me on this podcast, as usual, was Mark Jackson.  The only prerequisite I have for these Beer Brawls is a love of beer.  You don’t need to know anything about the beers we are drinking only a willingness to try them and voice an opinion.

As usual we have a podcast of The Beer Brawl:

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On Tap for Tonight:

• Black Douglas Ale (80/-)
• Belhaven Scottish Ale (80/-)
• Belhaven Wee Heavy
• Old Jock Ale (Wee Heavy)
• Traquair House Ale (Wee Heavy)
• MacFoochies Scottish Ale (Wee Heavy) (American)
• Moylans Kilt Lifter (Wee Heavy) (American)
  
• Skull Splitter (Wee Heavy)

Mark(left) Peter(right)

This time I decided to go in the order of the schilling designation, which is by ABV (Alcohol by Volume).  The two 5% abv beers are 80 Schilling (/-) beers and the remaining are 90/- to 160/- beers called Wee Heavy.  First up was the Black Douglas, excellent start to the night, full bodied and flavorful.  The two Belhaven beers were up after the Black Douglas, the 80/-, thin, not much body and then the Wee Heavy which was a step up from the 80/-, but still not memorable.  After a hit and miss, start the Old Jock was right on the money, unique aroma and great flavor, This turned out to be one of Marks favorites.  In my mind, the next beer Traquair House Ale was one of my favorites, fully balanced smooth beer.    For the first American made Scottish Ale, the MacFoochies was an excellent Scottish ale, we really enjoyed this Wee Heavy.  The second American beer was the Moylans Kilt Lifter, a huge disappointment.  I think this was just bad bottle.  We are going to attempt to find another bottle and re-sample.  The final beer and maybe one of the best beers I’ve ever had in recent memory, the Skull Splitter.

Download the podcast and listen to all the details about these craft brews stacked up against each other.

Next week, Fruited Beer… against my better judgment.

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